Chapter 1 – Lady of the Underground World

A bird fluttered down and landed on a mound covered with gently gathered leaves. After confirming there were no threats nearby, it began to groom its red feathers with its white beak.

It was a plump pheasant.

Though pheasants are ground dwellers due to their poor flying ability, they are fast runners and highly sensitive to sound, making them notoriously difficult to catch.

There’s even a saying that if you can shoot a pheasant, your archery skills are proven.

And yet, Cecilia had a reason to go after such a difficult target.

Beyond the grass, a pair of violet eyes sparkled brightly.

Cecilia had locked onto her target, drawing her bowstring taut.

Holding her breath, she waited for the pheasant to lower its guard.

The moment it dipped its head, she released the arrow.

The arrow flew straight and true, piercing the pheasant’s neck with perfect precision.

Her silver hair, tied high in a ponytail, fluttered in the breeze like a horse’s tail.

“Haa…”

Only after confirming her prey was dead did Cecilia release a breath of relief.

Approaching the fallen pheasant, she licked her lips.

“This will be delicious fried.”

There was only one reason to hunt such a difficult bird: it was delicious.

Just then, a loud voice boomed from afar.

“Young Lady! Where are you?!”

Startled, her shoulders jumped at the voice that echoed through the entire mountain. If it had come just moments earlier, she might’ve missed her shot.

In that sense, today had been a lucky day.

Cecilia shouted in the direction of the voice.

“I’m over here!”

Before long, a group of rugged-looking men appeared.

They all had thick beards and muscular builds, and despite the chilly weather, wore sleeveless shirts that exposed their arms.

Each of them carried ropes strung with dead birds. Anyone passing by would’ve assumed they were bandits and rushed to report them to the authorities.

But Cecilia smiled at them without concern, clearly used to their appearance.

And for good reason — these weren’t bandits, but mercenaries of the Niberius family and her childhood “uncles.”

Upon spotting Cecilia, they broke into goofy grins and ran over.

“Oh my, did our young lady catch another one?”

“Yup. Uncle Tolga, look at this one. It’s so plump. Let’s fry it.”

As Cecilia bent down to pick up the bird, Uncle Tolga jumped in surprise, snatching the dead bird from her hands.

Then, pulling a handkerchief from his pocket, he vigorously wiped her hands clean.

Despite his rugged looks, he had a surprisingly delicate side.

“I’ve told you over and over — nobles shouldn’t be handling things like this. You should live gracefully.”

“You’re great, Uncle Tolga, but you’re always such a killjoy.”

As Cecilia pouted, Uncle Aron chimed in.

“Exactly. Hunting is fine, but don’t touch the prey yourself. What if there are germs?”

“Then you uncles shouldn’t touch it either.”

“Don’t worry about us. We’ve got sturdy bodies to spare.”

The two men proudly flexed their bulging biceps. Their bright grins were a bonus.

“Want to hang from my arm like you used to?”

“No thanks. That was ages ago.”

Cecilia cringed, and the uncles roared with laughter.

Efficiently, they drew short blades from their waists and quickly slit the pheasant’s throat, letting the blood drain before tying its legs and stringing it to the rope.

Their movements were clean and practiced, as always.

“With today’s haul, the whole estate will eat well. Let’s head back now.”

“I’d like to stay a bit longer.”

“No can do. The Lord is worried.”

Tolga brushed a leaf from Cecilia’s hair and naturally took the lead down the mountain.

As they descended in the glow of the orange sunset, Tolga lifted the pheasant.

“Our young lady’s archery is something else. At this rate, she’ll wipe out the entire pheasant population.”

“Honestly, I think she’s better than our captain.”

Cecilia raised her chin arrogantly, clearly enjoying their exaggerated praise.

“I think so too. Maybe I should join the army.”

“Ah, that would be difficult. Women aren’t allowed on the front lines. It’s a shame, really. If you’d been born a man, you could’ve become a war hero— Ow!”

Before Aron could finish, a dull thud cut him off.

Tolga had smacked him on the back of the head.

As Aron clutched his head and groaned, Tolga scowled.

“Can’t you keep your mouth shut? Talking like that to the young lady.”

Aron looked aggrieved but ultimately wilted under Tolga’s glare.

Then, as if nothing happened, Tolga turned to Cecilia with a warm, uncle-next-door smile.

“Our young lady is already perfect just the way she is. No need for war or heroics.”

Cecilia chuckled and patted Aron’s back.

“Okay, so don’t hit Uncle Aron anymore. What if his head gets worse?”

“Geez, even you, Young Lady. I’m not that bad. I can read, you know.”

As Aron pouted, Cecilia burst into laughter, and the three of them made their way down in good spirits.

In truth, the uncles’ words weren’t entirely unreasonable.

A noble lady was expected to pursue calm hobbies like flower arranging or embroidery, not martial arts or archery. At least, that’s how it was for those trained in proper etiquette.

But Cecilia’s family was the House of Baron Niberius.

Their lineage included commanders of skilled mercenaries, with even a royal palace knight in their ancestry. Her grandfather, the mercenary commander at the time, had earned the title of Baron for his service.

Although they had maintained their noble title and lands since then, the family had declined considerably after her grandfather’s death — now just one of many minor noble houses.

They lacked power and influence among the nobility, but Cecilia didn’t mind.

Because this was her second life.

And the most important lesson she’d learned in her first life was that peace and simplicity were far more valuable than wealth or power.

When she was six, she once fell from a tree trying to avoid her uncles and father. After suffering a head injury, memories of her previous life suddenly came rushing back.

Born into a strict educator’s household in South Korea, her childhood was full of oppression.

It was a monotonous cycle of home and study, dictated by her parents’ high expectations. She aimed to enter a prestigious law school but failed the entrance exam. Afterward, she was pushed into preparing for the civil service exam.

Even that ended in failure. On her third attempt, she died from overwork — just like that.

When Cecilia opened her eyes in bed, her head wrapped in bandages, tears came before the shock of realizing she was in her second life.

Waves of pity and sorrow for her past self overwhelmed her.

Her crying caused a panic throughout the household.

“Oh no, Young Lady, does it hurt badly? Are you okay? Damn it, I should’ve caught her—”

“Get Sasabe, the doctor! Hurry—!”

Her uncles, rough-looking as they were, cried and apologized. Her father turned pale and trembled.

Cecilia stared blankly at them.

She suddenly wondered what there was to be so sad about.

There were no parents here to punish her for failing exams, no 16-hour study marathons, no academies labeling her a failure for dropping grades.

Most of all, this world had something her old life lacked: love.

Her father, her uncles — they all loved her dearly.

That alone gave her comfort.

And she made a vow:

In this life, I will live freely and happily, without anyone’s oppression.

She was sick of comparing herself to others and tearing herself down.

As for her barony? Others might say it made her no better than a commoner, but she was satisfied.

She had bad memories associated with high-ranking nobles anyway. She had no desire to join their ranks or even associate with them.

“If I get greedy, I’ll just be punished.”

No more, no less — she only wished this current happiness would last.

But little did Cecilia know…

That peace would not last much longer.

As soon as she returned to the mansion, her father summoned her.

Cecilia brushed the dirt from her face and headed to his office.

She knocked on the door.

“Cecilia? Come in.”

Her father sat behind the desk, as usual, dressed neatly in navy and with his silver hair slicked back.

But something felt different.

His violet eyes, always gentle, were clouded with darkness.

Standing beside him was Sasabe, the family doctor.

Sensing the serious atmosphere, Cecilia asked carefully,

“Why is the mood so heavy? Did something happen?”

Sasabe glanced at her, then lowered his head.

“I’ll step outside.”

“No, stay. It might help to have you here.”

Her father sighed deeply.

The room fell silent.

Cecilia, growing impatient, finally spoke.

“What’s going on? You’re scaring me.”

Her father’s expression darkened even more.

Then, after a sigh deep enough to reach the earth’s core, he opened his mouth with great difficulty.

“Don’t be too shocked, Cecilia.”

“…”

“I only have six months left to live.”